‘Anger Management’: More changes coming to Charlie Sheen’s series

When FX renewed “Anger Management” for a whopping 90 episodes, the hope was obviously that the network would see ratings that was at least somewhat comparable to what the show was pulling in for most of the summer. However, that has not happened, to say the least. The ratings have tanked like an anvil in the ocean for most of the spring, as Charlie Sheen’s show faced heavy competition from comedies and dramas on network TV.

To us, though, the biggest problem with the show is not the competition so much as that the show just isn’t up to what the FX standard is: Smart, inventive comedy that pushes the envelope. This is the same network that airs “Louie,” and this instead feels like a weaker version of “Spin City” and “Two and a Half Men,” the two sitcoms that starred Sheen before this one. The characters are still stereotypical, and the arrival of Martin Sheen in a larger role has not really helped anything.

Luckily, FX Networks’ head of all things programming John Landgraf told reporters on Thursday that during the show’s upcoming filming hiatus, there are going to be some tweaks made to the format in order to improve things. We don’t know quite what these tweaks are going to be just yet, but we hope that they include some shifts when it comes to writing, which is the show’s biggest weakness right now. It’s not even completely the current team’s fault: They are given such a short amount of time to come up with material that it’s understandable that not all of it works.

Luckily, “Anger Management” is going to get more opportunities to increase its audience throughout the month of June, as the show will continue to air episodes on Fox Monday nights.

Photo: FX